Why join?

In its 2015 terrorism situation report published last month Europol said there was no evidence that terrorists systematically use refugee routes to enter the EU, although there have been single cases of this happening.

Some members of the terrorist group behind the attacks in Paris and Brussels, in November 2015 and March 2016, were EU nationals who travelled to Syria to receive training by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS). They slipped back into Europe afterwards by passing themselves off as refugees.

Europol noted in its report that the bigger threat was that Syrian refugees would fall prey to extremist recruiters once in Europe.

EU experts will work to identify individuals who risk being radicalised after being stuck in Greece’s camps, Europol spokesperson Alexandru Niculae told France24.

Earlier this year, Europol sent teams to Greece's “hotspots”, the special detention camps where migrants are supposed to be processed.

Greece has vowed to close down some of its most depressing camps and replace them with better functioning ones.

Greek migration minister Ioannis Mouzalas told the Kathimerini newspaper that there was only around 80-100 people arriving in the country each day, compared with many thousands at the height of the crisis last year.

The mandate for Operation Sophia, the EU's naval mission in the Mediterranean sea, ends in December. Demands to change it, including new rules on disembarkation, are set to be agreed within the next few weeks.

The European Commission says it is ready to boost spending in Morocco when it comes to stop migrant hopefuls from reaching Spain by boat. The money follows demands for help from Madrid as irregular arrival numbers spike in Spain.

The European Commission declined to comment on an Italian boat that reportedly returned rescued migrants at sea back to Libya - but instead said the country is too dangerous to be considered as a place safe enough for disembarkation.

The European Commission says it is ready to boost spending in Morocco when it comes to stop migrant hopefuls from reaching Spain by boat. The money follows demands for help from Madrid as irregular arrival numbers spike in Spain.